Crossing Oceans | ✓

ᔕEᐯEᑎ | TᕼE ᗩᗰᗷᑌᔕᕼ

^Isabelle^

It was dank, and the air had the undeniable stench of rotting flesh and mold. At the cross roads they waited. Minutes ticked by, and with every second the crew grew tenser, but Carson knew they would never desert him. Their pay was too high. Finally, they heard the patter of feet down the passage to their right. They all reached for their weapons of choice, preparing for a fight. But it was just Cod, out of breath but desperately fulfilling his errand. Despite his impatience, Reed let the poor man catch his breath, and then quickly asked, "Did you find her, Cod?"

"Yes, Capn', but she's in a bad way." He replied, puffing in between his breaths.

"Then we must be swift. Lead the way, Cod."

The weathered pirate turned, and half ran, half walked into the darkness, and the men followed him without any questions. At the end of the passage, Cod held out his hand to stop them, and they hesitated. He listened intently for a few moments, and they heard the faint sound of footsteps heading on their direction. They waited, bodies tense for action, and at the last moment, Carson stepped out from behind the shelter of the wall and neatly struck the man on the head with the hilt of his sword. The man fell with a grunt to the floor, and the crew carelessly stepped over the body.

As was expected, there were guards at almost every entrance to each new passage. Most of the time it was just one man standing sentinel, and each time they were easily disposed of. At length, Carson grew impatient. They had been walking for a while, going deeper and deeper into the prison, but now he felt like they were going in circles. "Cod, are you certain you know where you found her?"

The old man was silent for a few beats before he replied. "To be truthful, Capn', I was lost for a moment, but rest assured, I know where we are now. She lies just beyond this passage." And the man was right.

They turned a corner, and there she was, chained to the wall like a common prisoner, her hair disheveled, her face dirty, her clothes torn and soiled. Her head lolled against her shoulder, and her breathing was so shallow that Carson thought her dead. But she shivered violently, and he sighed in relief. At least she was alive. Rushing up to the door, he inspected the lock. "Look for keys that have two ridges," he instructed, and then he began to test every key that he had that fit that description. Upon the clanging of metal, Isabelle immediately woke up. At first she started shrinking against the wall and whimpered in terror. "Shh, Isabelle. It is me. It is Carson. I have come here to rescue you."

She squinted into the darkness, her curiosity got the better of her, and she inched forward. He moved closer to the torchlight, and that was when she recognized him. She cried out and flung herself at the bars, grabbing onto his hands and sobbing violently. "Oh, my love, it is you. It's really you. I have dreamed of it so long, I thought it was another dream."

"No, darling, I am truly here. Here to take you from this place, and reunite you with your family. I am here to mend what I have so foolishly broken." All the while he continued to work with the keys, but none seemed to fit, and she was clueless as to what key could possibly open the door. Anthony had sent two men to guard the passage, but it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. "We don't have time for this," he complained to himself as he glanced around the room, as if trying to find another possible solution to the problem. "Victor, you know how to pick locks. Come here quickly boy and try your luck. If you succeed in opening the door, there will be a reward for you."